Not just a snap

Somebody had asked about the long-snapping for the Hawks and I tried to go back through the tape and chart each one, but I apparently DVR-ed it on the wrong cable box and the Minnesota game was not there. Sorry. In a general sense, my impression as I watched the game was the same as I’ve had during the rest of the preseason, Clint Gresham is not consistent enough. That’s especially so with the short snaps, where there should be an extremely small variance in placement. There’s been too much and it can lead to costly mistakes during the regular season.

A couple views from Monday’s light workout: Fans should be encouraged by the fact that Russell Okung was out of the boot and on the hoof at practice. Certainly seems highly unlikely that he’ll be ready for the opener, though. All these high-ankle sprains are different, and remember that Josh Wilson was back on the field in only a couple weeks with his. If Okung is or is not a quick healer, it’s going to be a good thing to learn about him early in his career. Also good to see Chester Pitts out there taking snaps. But he, too, does not look close to full speed.

Injury issues again leave me thinking that the line could be the limiting factor in team development. The impact certainly is obvious on the rushing game, which I wrote about in the paper this morning. Remember ... on the day Pete Carroll was hired, he established a priority that the Seahawks would have a strong running game. They're averaging a puny 3.4 yards per carry in the three preseason games.

However, one point that should be encouraging out of the Minneapolis game: This staff arrived at a scheme that allowed the offense to operate at least somewhat effectively with Mansfield Wrotto at left tackle. By using a number of combinations of tight ends, Wrotto, and backs – along with quick passes and rollouts – they were able to reduce Jared Allen’s effectiveness. To see the staff be able to scheme around a mismatch disadvantage like that is encouraging.

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For those Curry questioners out there … I’m with you. I still think the athleticism is there, but the production is not. It continues to look to me as if he’s thinking rather than reacting. As many others have pointed out, the trick will be to get him into a situation where his skills can be best utilized. But something really needs to “click” for this guy. At times in practice, I’ve seen him just slap away a blocker and get to the passer. So, it’s in there some place. Especially in games, with the added pressures, his concerns over making mistakes may cause him to just hesitate that brief moment that keeps him from making the play. My opinion: Way too early to consider him a bust as some have here. I just think he’s still on the slope of the learning curve. For the fourth player taken in the draft, frankly, you’d should expect to see more by now.

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